1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a reproducing apparatus, a recording medium, a reproducing method, and a reproducing program. More particularly, the invention relates to a reproducing apparatus for reproducing music data according to play lists that define the sequences in which to reproduce music data items as content data.
2. Description of the Related Art
Typical reproducing apparatuses hold play lists in which a plurality of music data items are registered. When a user selects one of the multiple music data items from one of the play lists for a preview, the user's reproducing apparatus may request the selected music data item from a server. The server may retain a plurality of preview music data items each being a specific part extracted from the music data item in question. When the server is requested by the reproducing apparatus to provide the music data item of interest for a preview according to the play list, the server returns to the reproducing apparatus a preview music data item corresponding to the requested music data item.
That is, the server is requested by the user's reproducing apparatus to provide the music data item selected for a preview. In turn, the server sends back the preview music data item. The returned preview music data item is received and reproduced by the reproducing apparatus. After reproduction of the preview music data item is terminated, the reproducing apparatus automatically requests the server to provide the next music data item for a preview in keeping with the play list. In response to the request, the server allows the reproducing apparatus to acquire and reproduce the preview music data item corresponding to the next music data item. In this manner, the reproducing apparatus typically enables the user continuously to preview a plurality of music data items in accordance with the play list.
If the reproducing apparatus is instructed to reproduce in its entirety the original music data item corresponding to the currently previewed music data item, the reproducing apparatus requests the server to provide the original music data item as instructed. In response to that request, the server returns the original music data item to the reproducing apparatus. The reproducing apparatus receives the returned music data item from the server and starts reproducing the received music data item as a whole. In this manner, given an instruction to reproduce the original music data item during its preview, the reproducing apparatus allows the entire music data item to be reproduced (for example, see Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2003-162285, pp. 22-23).